LOUISVILLE, KY. — Despite knocking down their highest amount of kills in a match this season with 58, the Royals fell in a five-set thriller against Bellarmine by a score of 3-2 (30-28, 17-25, 25-22, 23-25, 9-15) in their ASUN opener on Saturday, Sep. 23.
From the start, Queens (3-10, 0-1 ASUN) and Bellarmine (3-11, 1-1 ASUN) essentially battled point-by-point as the first set included three lead changes and a whopping 18 tied scores. Anna Law and Jordyn Johnson led the way in the kill department as the two veterans combined for 13 kills in the first set alone, aiding their squad in a 30-28 first set triumph.
The defeat lit a fire in Bellarmine, as the Knights would jump to a 15-9 lead in the second set with the help of Royals miscues and Bailey Venard — Bellarmine's match-leader in kills — on the attack. Queens wouldn't stay silent for long, as Bellarmine's miscommunication on the floor and kills from Kendall Buish and Law would push them within two points of the Knights. Kylie VanHoy would take control offensively with three kills later in the set to aid the Knights in a 25-17 second set win.
The third set would go in the Royals' favor by a score of 25-22 with another solid offensive run from J. Johnson — who had whipped up 16 total kills and three blocks by the end of the frame.
In the fourth, Bellarmine bounced back and managed a 15-11 lead by the middle of the frame. A kill from Kayla McDuffie for the Royals' twelfth point would spark a 4-0 run, putting the pressure on Bellarmine to make a move with the score at 16-15. A kill from Alleigh Johnson would mark the first tie of the set, putting the Knights in the danger zone to lose their advantage. The lead was soon swiped away by the Royals with a Buish kill, putting the score at 18-17. Despite the commendable comeback, the works of Gabby Brissett and VanHoy on the block would help finalize a 25-23 Knights victory.
In the final, Queens would take the first four points of the frame with kills from McDuffie and J. Johnson as well as two Bellarmine attack errors. The Knights would find their way back with another double block and eventually find themselves at 8-8 even with the hard-battling Royals. J. Johnson would whip up a final kill to put the squad at nine, but the Knights would find the power to finish out the set with a 15-9 win, and a 3-2 overall match victory.
"Tough match today," Head Coach Hannah Long said postgame. "We worked really hard to give ourselves opportunities but weren't able to capitalize in some key moments. Credit to Bellarmine as the played a great match."
The Royals would finish the day hitting .188 as a team while the Knights would tab a .239, their second-highest hitting percentage in a match on the year.
J. Johnson would tally 21 kills against Bellarmine, a career-high for the junior outside hitter.
"In volleyball, individual accomplishments are a reflection of team work," J. Johnson said. "As a hitter, I am always looking for ways to reward the passer and my setter. Starting conference play this way helps my confidence heading into the heart of a tough ASUN schedule."
Following behind was Law, who tallied a season-high 10 kills. Buish would lead in assists with a season-high 45. Defensively, J. Johnson led with three blocks while Jesse George added 23 digs.
UP NEXT
The Royals head back to the Levine Center on Friday, Sep. 29 against FGCU for a 6:00 PM first-serve.
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